What I'm Reading......

If you've been to my home, it's no secret that I love coffee table books. I have them on subjects as varied as the Rolling Stones and swimming pools. But most tend to lean towards the fashion world. While I regularly swap out my books, from season to season, one that always has a place of honor is Influence by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.

The book is a very interesting concept.  It's split in half-Ashley's half and MK's half.  Each twin has chosen a handful of people, from fashion designers to photographers, that influence and inspire them.  In turn, each influencer agreed to sit down for an interview with the twins to talk about what inspires them!  They even got some greats to agree, like Karl Lagerfeld and Diane vonFurstenburg and Christian Louboutin. The interviews are fascinating and eye-opening, and the photos are great, whether professional glossy pics or grainy Polaroid's snapped by the girls themselves.

Far and away, though, my favorite chapters are the ones about each twin.  They interview each other and share photo collages of their favorite things.  If you're an Olsen fan like myself, this book is a must have.  But even if you aren't, the photography and content is well worth a spot on your bookshelf.  It's a rare chance to get inside the brains of some fashion geniuses.  

Here's a shot of  one of MK's photo collages-some of her amazing sunglasses.

And here are two gorgeous shots of Ashley from her chapter in the book:

So GO BUY IT!  Available at amazon.com, starting at $27.